Faces from the Past
by apracot
Summary: The team through Elle's eyes eight years after she left the BAU... some spoilers for 100! R


I wrote about Elle because even though she's not one of my favourite characters I thought it would be cool for us to see the team through her eyes. This takes place eight years after Elle left the BAU and five years from where the show is now. Some spoilers for 100!

Disclaimer: Nope Criminal Minds isn't mine!

Elle Greenaway strolled into the lobby of the hotel she was staying in. This was her first sun holiday since... well since her experience in Jamaica, and she was loving it.

She'd been self conscious at first as the swim suits she was wearing didn't exactly hide the scar that ran up the length of her chest but she had never been a vain person so that feeling quickly passed.

It was her second day in Hawaii – she had considered going back to Jamaica but couldn't face it – and she was planning on spending the day lying on the beach.

She'd come into the hotel lobby first to get a magazine to read while sunbathing.

It was while picking up a fashion magazine that Elle heard a noise that made her heart skip a beat. At first she thought it was her mind playing a trick on her but them she heard it again, and them again.

It was the noise of her team. Well they'd never been her team per say but still it was a noise she hadn't heard since she'd resigned eight years ago.

Part of her so badly wanted to go to them just to see what they had become, but the other part of her still after all these years wasn't ready to face them.

She'd been so cruel to them in her last few months on the team and had shut them out and if she was honest with herself she was afraid they'd still be mad at her for doing that.

So instead she took a seat in the corner of the lobby with a perfect view of the door. She was confident they wouldn't see her because she had a big sunhat on and shades.

First through the door was Morgan, carrying four cases and smiling from ear to ear. She could tell he was still single from the way he eyed up every lady in the room from the second he walked in.

He even looked at her for a moment but thankfully his attention was caught by a pretty blond who walked past.

She smiled at this. She had missed Morgan the most out of the team and he'd always been like a brother to her and never judged her even in her bad times.

Next through the door was Garcia, wearing a yellow dress that made the sun look dark, and a man who looked to be her boyfriend, no she corrected herself, her husband because there was a ring on her finger.

She was also pleased to see a little girl of about four on Garcia's hip who looked just like her and was wearing equally bright clothes.

This scene almost made Elle laugh out loud as she had always wanted to see a mini Garcia and the one she could see right now was like her clone!

She was shocked to see that Garcia now had red hair and even though she knew the team was bound to change since she left it still left her feeling a bit sad that they had changed at all.

Behind Garcia was Reid and, Elle was shocked to see he also had a girlfriend. She thought they looked cute together and Elle was glad he had found someone as she knew he had always been afraid or ending up alone.

She was glad to see Reid had let his hair grow a bit too. She had always teased him about his hair and she smiled at the memory wishing for a brief moment that she hadn't left.

Though she knew she had to leave, she knew the job had been eating her up inside and she knew that if she hadn't left when she did she wouldn't have stopped killing the Unsub's and would eventually become one of them.

She was brought back to the present at the sight of JJ and her husband coming through the door. JJ was carrying a small boy on her hip with one hand, as Garcia had done with her daughter, and held the hand of a slightly older looking boy in the other.

The boy was also holding onto his father's hand and Elle had to admit JJ's husband was hot. Elle had always known JJ would make a good mother someday and seeing her with her two boys just proved that point.

Elle wanted to go and hug JJ who had been her first real fiend that hadn't been a boy. She knew she couldn't though as they all looked to happy to get interrupted by her.

Next through the door was a man Elle only recognised as she had read all his books while studying to be a profiler.

David Rossi had always been a hero of hers and she had been honestly shocked to hear he was coming back to the BAU to replace Gideon.

He looked like the grandfather of the group, judging by the way that JJ's oldest son had run to his side the second his mother and father had let go of his hands and how Garcia's daughter was squirming in her mother's grip trying to do the same.

Elle wondered briefly if Hotch would be here. She had of course read about Hailey's death and had even gone to her grave once on the one rare occasion she was in DC.

She wanted to know how Hotch dealt with her death as when she had been on the team Hotch's whole world had revolved around Hailey and their son Jack when he was born.

She didn't have to wait long to find out though. Next through the door was Hotch himself, one hand holding a now nine year old Jack's hand, and the other wrapped around the waist of the woman Elle recognised as the woman who replaced her.

She had read it in the paper, her name was Emily Prentiss and judging by the ring on her finger she and Hotch were now married as well. She also had a little girl on her hip that looked about two.

This made Elle's heart fill with joy, a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

She was so glad Hotch had found love, especially with someone who understands the horrors of the job and someone who looked like she was just as in love with Jack as she was with Hotch, from the way she smiled at him and the way he called her "mom" when they walked in.

She was going to walk away then but decided to stay, just until she found out the names of the teams kids and other halves. It was Garcia who spoke first as JJ went up to the counter to check them in.

"Ok sweety" she said to her daughter "you can go to your Grandpa Dave, just behave ok?"

"Yes mom" the little girl said before leaping down and running to Rossi.

"Hey Will, will you take Zack while I check us all in" JJ asked her husband who Elle now knew as Will.

"Sure thing Cher" He said in the thickest southern accent Elle had ever heard.

"No Dada me pway wit Henwy" Zach screeched the second he was handed to his father.

At the sound of his name the other boy, who Elle guessed was Henry, walked over and took his brother from his father.

"Come on Zach you can play with me and Jack."

"Can I play too?" Garcia's daughter asked.

"Ok c'mon then Iris" said Henry.

"Iris, would you take Hailey with you to please?" said Emily.

For a moment Elle was confused as to why Emily would say Hailey's name but when the little girl nodded and took the small child from Emily's arms and over to where the rest of the kids were playing, she understood why.

Hotch hadn't forgotten about his wife, he just chose to remember her in a positive and happy way, just like she remembered the team. This brought a tear to Elle's eye which she quickly wiped away again.

"Ok guy's listen up" JJ called over the now noisy lobby "Pen and Kevin , you're in room 48, Hotch and Em , you guys are in room 51, Reid and Austin you're in room 52, Dave you're in room 54 with Morgan, Will honey, me and you are in room 53 and kids you're all allowed to share room 50 as long as you're good." She said handing a key to all the adults and Jack.

"Is me loud to share wit Jack?" asked Hailey.

"Only if your extra good sweety" said Hotch.

"Me pwomise me be wealy good" she said smiling.

With that the team picked up there cases and walked towards the lift, passing right by Elle as they did.

Hailey looked at her and smiled, to which Elle gave a small wave but other than that she went unnoticed by the people she had once considered family.

But she didn't mind, because that was the way she needed it to stay for her sanity sake.

With that she got up and booked out of the hotel on the spot, saying she'd have someone pick up her luggage later. She never looked back, just like last time.

Right I'm done... Hope you liked it... tell me what you thought! =)


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